Alabama partners with Fanatics signaling new stage in NIL

The University of Alabama has formed a long-term, multifaceted partnership with Fanatics giving them exclusive rights to name, image, and likeness of current, and former, Crimson Tide athletes.

Alabama announces partnership with Fanatics

The deal gives Fanatics a wide range of partnerships including primary licensee rights for fan apparel and headwear, e-commerce, stadium retail, physical and digital trading cards, and collectible rights.

Fanatics now has exclusive rights to Alabama’s primary apparel and headwear across multiple  retail distribution channels.

Multiple businesses across Fanatics are participating including Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, Topps, and Candy Digital.

Topps will handle digital and physical trading cards beginning in 2025 when they become Alabama’s exclusive partner in that area.

Candy Digital will control digital collectables and NFTs.

Fanatics is also set to launch The Authentic, the first-ever retail team store to be opened inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. It is expected to open during the upcoming 2022 college football season.

The retail space will allow Crimson Tide student-athletes to provide autographed memorabilia, have meet and greets, and conduct social media marketing.

Fans will be able to buy athlete-specific jerseys, T-shirts, hats, and trading cards in the shop.

That is a cornerstone component of the deal. Fanatics and Alabama have been longstanding partners and the Crimson Tide have been their highest college football earner in the past 5 years, making this investment a sure-thing.

While Fanatics has signed 10-year licensing deals with programs such as Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Tennessee, this is a deal unlike any other in college athletics because it encompasses all of the business that Fanatics offers.

It also gives organization to what has become the Wild West of college football, and should also give Nick Saban, a big criticizer of NIL, some peace of mind.

In the future other programs could follow suit and partner with businesses such as Fanatics that provide similar services.

It gives student-athletes structure to make money off of NIL and with a business model like this in place, they might not be tempted to enter the transfer portal because of the opportunities they have at a university with a deal like this.

For any university that’s a compelling route and for Alabama, the first on the train, will allow them to stay on the NIL mountaintop.